Turned Passion Into Global Success
Success does not always come from following one plan. Sometimes it comes from being willing to take a completely different road when the right opportunity appears.
Declan Horgan knows that better than most.
He grew up in Ireland surrounded by good food, fresh ingredients, and the kind of cooking that starts at home. That early connection with food eventually took him into some of Ireland’s best kitchens, across the Atlantic to Washington, DC, and onto international television as one of the most memorable contestants on Hell’s Kitchen.
But Declan’s story did not end when he left the kitchen.
Today, he is building a career in commercial real estate through A&H Global Commercial Real Estate, while continuing to stay involved in the food world and giving back to causes that matter to him.
His career may look like a series of very different chapters, but there is a common thread running through all of them: Declan has never been afraid of hard work or starting something new.
Where His Love of Food Began
Declan’s interest in cooking started at home.
His mother was a talented cook, and many of his early memories of food came from watching her prepare homemade meals. His father brought another side of food into the family through hunting and deep-sea fishing, giving Declan an early appreciation for fresh game and seafood.
It was a simple lesson, but one that stayed with him: good food starts with good ingredients, and good ingredients deserve to be treated properly.
That appreciation eventually became something more serious.
Declan studied Culinary Innovation and Food Product Development at the DIT School of Culinary Arts and Food Technology in Dublin. From there, he began working his way through professional kitchens, learning from chefs and gaining experience in different styles of cooking.
His career included time at respected restaurants such as Peacock Alley, La Grande Cascade, Mint, and Chapter One by Ross Lewis.
These were not glamorous years in the way television later made his career look. Professional kitchens are demanding places. Long hours, high expectations and very little room for mistakes are part of the job.
Declan kept going.
Each kitchen gave him another lesson, whether it was about technique, discipline, presentation or simply how to perform when the pressure is high.
Learning to Lead a Kitchen
As Declan gained experience, he moved beyond simply being the person preparing the food.
In 2013, he became Restaurant Chef at Fade Street Social, working with chef Dylan McGrath. The position gave him the chance to take on more responsibility and develop his understanding of what it takes to run a successful restaurant.
That meant thinking about the menu, ingredients and quality, but it also meant understanding people.
A restaurant can have great food and still struggle if the team does not work together. A head chef has to make decisions quickly, keep standards high and know how to get the best out of the people around them.
Declan later became an Executive Head Chef in Virginia before making the decision to move to the United States.
That move would change the direction of his career.
Building a Life in Washington, DC
In 2017, Declan took on the role of Executive Chef at a restaurant at The Wharf in Washington, DC.
Moving from Ireland to the American capital brought a completely different environment. He was cooking for an international crowd and, at times, for some very well-known guests.
One moment that stood out was when former First Lady Michelle Obama ordered his fish and chips.
For an Irish chef, there was something particularly fitting about that. Fish and chips may be a familiar dish, but getting it right is about much more than putting fish and potatoes on a plate. It is about the quality of the ingredients, the preparation and the details that turn something simple into something memorable.
Declan’s cooking allowed him to bring some of his Irish background into a new setting while continuing to develop his own style.
And then television came calling.
The Hell’s Kitchen Experience
By the time Declan appeared on Season 19 of Hell’s Kitchen, he already had years of professional experience behind him.
Still, competing on a show watched by millions is a very different kind of pressure.
Declan made history as the first Irish contestant to compete on the show. He also made an immediate impression on Gordon Ramsay, receiving a perfect five out of five for his first signature dish.
But his appeal was not limited to what he put on the plate.
Declan was direct, confident and not afraid to speak his mind. His personality quickly became part of what viewers remembered about him, along with his cooking ability and experience.
His attitude could be summed up by one of his most memorable lines:
“You can either lead, follow or fxxk off.”
It was blunt, but it reflected the approach that had taken him through professional kitchens for years. Declan was comfortable taking responsibility and making decisions, even when the pressure was on.
His appearance on Hell’s Kitchen also introduced him to a much wider audience. His following on social media grew, and his cooking attracted attention beyond the show. His talent was also recognised during his appearance on Guy’s Grocery Games, where Guy Fieri took notice of his abilities.
For many viewers, Declan became one of the contestants they remembered long after the season ended.
Life Beyond the Kitchen
It would have been easy for Declan to continue building his career around food and television.
Instead, he decided to take what he had learned in one industry and apply it somewhere completely different.
Declan is now a co-founder of A&H Global Commercial Real Estate, working alongside business partner Dimitri Apostolopoulos.
The company has grown rapidly, with a commercial real estate portfolio valued at approximately $6.5 billion in less than a year and ambitions that extend into international markets.
On paper, the move from professional chef to commercial real estate executive might seem unusual.
For Declan, however, the skills are more connected than they appear.
Running a kitchen teaches you how to work under pressure. It teaches you how to manage people, make decisions quickly, deal with problems and stay focused when things do not go according to plan.
Those same qualities matter in business.
The setting is different, but the mindset is familiar.
Declan now spends his time looking at commercial property opportunities, working with investors and helping grow a business in a completely new field.
Still Connected to the Food World
Even with his attention now focused heavily on business, Declan has not left the culinary world behind.
He is an ambassador for a Japanese knife company with a history spanning more than 850 years.
For someone who has spent much of his adult life working with professional kitchen equipment, the relationship is a natural fit. A good knife is one of the most important tools in a chef’s kitchen, and Declan’s experience gives him a practical understanding of what professionals look for.
For those interested in the company and its products, Declan offers 10% off with the code CHEFDECLAN10.
His continued involvement with the culinary world is a reminder that although his career has changed direction, food remains an important part of who he is.
Giving Back Through His Work
Declan’s work outside business and food is another important part of his story.
He currently serves on the Board of Directors for an event that has raised $3 million so far for children’s cancer.
That work gives him an opportunity to use his platform and experience for something beyond his own career.
Raising money for children’s cancer treatment and support is not the kind of achievement that can be measured in awards or television appearances. It is about the people who benefit from the money raised and the families whose lives are affected.
For Declan, being involved at the board level means having a chance to contribute to something with a purpose much bigger than business.
The Milestones That Mean the Most
Declan has had plenty of professional highlights, but two achievements stand out to him personally.
The first is becoming an American citizen.
For someone who left Ireland and built a new life in the United States, citizenship represents far more than a piece of paperwork. It reflects the years of work, change and commitment that went into making America home.
The second is the response he has received from Hell’s Kitchen fans.
Many viewers continue to consider Declan one of the show’s greatest and most memorable contestants. Given the size of the show’s audience and the number of chefs who have competed over the years, that is no small compliment.
Both milestones represent different sides of the same story: building a new life while staying true to the person he has always been.
What Declan Wants People to Remember
For all the changes in his career, Declan’s advice to people chasing their own goals is surprisingly simple.
Do not give up.
His own career is proof that success does not always arrive in the form you expect.
He started in Irish kitchens. He worked in Michelin-starred restaurants. He became a chef in Washington, DC. He appeared on one of the world’s best-known cooking shows. He became an American citizen. He moved into commercial real estate and helped build a business with a multibillion-dollar portfolio.
Along the way, he has also continued working with the food industry, supporting charitable causes and finding new ways to use his experience.
There is no single job title that explains Declan Horgan.
Chef is part of his story. Television personality is part of it. Entrepreneur and real estate executive are part of it too.
But perhaps the better way to describe him is as someone who is willing to keep moving.
The Next Chapter
Declan’s story is still developing.
His focus now is on growing A&H Global Commercial Real Estate, expanding its reach and connecting with investors interested in commercial property opportunities in international markets.
At the same time, he remains connected to the culinary industry that gave him his start and continues to support causes that are important to him.
His path from Ireland to the United States has already taken him through several careers that, at first glance, might not seem connected.
But look closer and the connection is clear.
The discipline he learned in professional kitchens helped him deal with pressure. His years as a chef taught him leadership. Television taught him how to communicate with a much larger audience. His move into business has given him a new arena in which to apply those same skills.
Declan did not abandon one life to start another.
He kept building on what came before.
And that may be the most useful lesson in his story. You do not have to know exactly where your career will take you. Sometimes you just have to recognise the next opportunity, be willing to work for it, and have the confidence to see what happens.
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